Compound bow with draw string release arrow clamp

ABSTRACT

A compound archery bow having an arrow holder that holds an arrow ready to be drawn and fired, the holder including an arrow gripper to engage and hold an inserted arrow shaft; an arrow gripper actuator biased out of driving engagement with the arrow grippers and actuated by release of a drawn pull length of the arrow string to engage the arrow shaft grippers of the arrow gripper upon firing of an arrow by release of the arrow and the pull length of the bow string and a cam secured to the vertical length of the bow string and movable upon drawing of the pull length of the bow string to be positioned from the arrow gripper; and to be rapidly moved upwardly following release of the pulled pull length of the bow string and to engage and raise the actuator arm to allow the biasing springs of the arrow gripper to move the arrow grippers to return to the arrow gripping position, and with the actuator arm raised by the cam until the arrow has passed through the arrow shaft grippers and then releasing from the upwardly traveling cam to move the cam back to a position located beneath the actuator arm.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to compound archery bows, and is particularly related to holders mounted on such bows to receive arrows and to securely hold the arrows in a nocked position until drawn and released by an archer.

Archers, and particularly bow hunters must necessarily be concerned with and be able to quickly aim and shoot an arrow when game is spotted. Consequently, bows having devices mounted thereon that will grip and hold a nocked arrow to the bow and that will release the grip to allow free flight of the arrow after the arrow has been fired from the bow have been developed.

2. Prior Art

It is common for bow hunters to have an arrow positioned in a bow, ready to fire, even while the bow hunter is searching for, or waiting for game. This has generally meant that an arrow is nocked to the draw string of the bow, with the user grasping both the center portion (handle) of the bow and the shaft of the arrow to keep the arrow from falling from the bow prior to drawing and release of the arrow. Naturally, because of the need to traverse through brush or over rough terrain, or even to hold the nocked arrow for long periods it is not uncommon for the bow hunter to relax the grip on the arrow and for the arrow to fall from the ready to pull position. It then becomes necessary to reinstall the arrow to the ready position for quick shooting of the arrow.

Arrow holders may have been proposed in the past that will grip an arrow shaft until the arrow is fired, thus alleviating the need for the hunter to hold the arrow in place. However, such arrow holders, when opened to release the arrow shaft often are still engaged by the feathers or flexible vanes of the arrow as it leaves the bow. Such arrow holders may be satisfactory for use with arrows having flexible vanes, but they do no work well with arrows having rigid vanes configured to import rotation to the flying arrow. Consequently, there remains a need for an arrow holder having shaft gripping means that will fully release an arrow shaft upon firing of an arrow and that fully removes the arrow grasping means from the path of the vanes on the released arrow.

More recently, bows have been provided with holding devices that will grip the shaft of a nocked arrow to more firmly hold the arrow in place on a bottom guide as a hunter looks for, or waits for game. The holding devices often hold a nocked arrow, even as the draw string is pulled and then drop away from the arrow when the draw string is released. A release actuator is provided as part of the holding structure and the release actuator causes the holding means for the arrow to pull away from the arrow when the draw string is released.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objects Of The Invention

Principal objects of the present invention are to provide a compound bow equipped with a centrally located arrow holder and means to release a nocked arrow from the arrow holder upon release of the draw string of the bow.

An additional object is to provide an arrow holder to be centrally located on a compound bow where it will support and hold a nocked arrow until the arrow has been fully drawn and released.

Still another object is to provide an arrow holder for a compound bow having a plurality of grippers radially spaced around an arrow shaft that will radially hold the shaft of a nocked arrow and that will release all grippers only upon release of a drawn nocked arrow.

Further objects are to provide a release mechanism for an arrow holder of a compound bow that will release all radially positioned gripping means from engagement with an arrow shaft upon release of the drawn arrow from engagement with the draw string of the bow and that will result in totally unobstructed flight of the released arrow from the bow, followed by resetting of the holder to be ready to receive and hold another nocked arrow.

Features Of The Invention

Principal features of the invention include a compound bow having a central handle below an arrow holder and having the usual draw string secured to and passed over pulleys in usual compound bow fashion.

Other features include an arrow holder positioned to hold a nocked arrow against inadvertent release prior to pulling and release of the draw string.

Still other features include radially spaced grippers of the arrow holder that encircle and hold an arrow shaft to secure the arrow against inadvertent release; and a pivoted and biased gripper release to pivot each gripper out of engagement with the arrow shaft and out of the path of vanes on the arrow shaft as the arrow is released from the draw string and flies from the bow.

Still another feature is that as a released arrow flies from the bow the holder resets the grippers to be ready to hold a newly installed, nocked arrow.

Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE INVENTION

In the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bow having a holder of the invention attached, taken from behind and at the left side of the bow;

FIG. 2, a right side elevation view of the bow of FIG. 1, with a nocked arrow held in place;

FIG. 2A, an enlarged section taken within the line 2A-2A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3, a view like that of FIG. 2, but showing the arrow drawn and the pull length of the draw string fully pulled;

FIG. 3A, a view like that of FIG. 2A, but taken with line 3A-3A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4, a front elevation view of the arrow holder with the arrow engaging grippers pivoted into engagement with the arrow shaft;

FIG. 5, a front elevation view as in FIG. 4, showing the arrow shaft engaging grippers pivoted out of engagement with the shaft of the arrow;

FIG. 6, a perspective view of the arrow holder of the invention showing the arrow shaft engaging grippers in position to receive and hold an arrow, with the gripper actuator pivoted away from the grippers;

FIG. 7, a view like that of FIG. 6, but showing the grippers pivoted to be out of engagement with the arrow shaft; and

FIGS. 8A-8D views respectively schematically showing an action cycle involving, FIG. 8A, loading an arrow into a compound bow; FIG. 8B, fully pulling the draw string and nocked arrow; FIG. 8C, releasing the draw string to initiate flight of the arrow from the bow; and FIG. 8D, movement of the actuator arm of the holder as it is raised by the actuator cam secured to the bow string.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the Drawings

In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, a compound bow is shown generally at 10, having a central section 12 that includes a hand grip 14 beneath a shoulder 16.

An arrow support, shown generally at 18, includes an L-shaped bracket 20, with one arm 22 secured by a bolt 24 to the central section 12 of the bow. Arm 22 of bracket 20 is cantilevered rearwardly from the central section 12 and extends normal to the vertical axis through the central section 12. Bolt 24 extends through central section 12 and through a slot 28 in the arm 22 to receive a nut 34. Arm 38 of bracket 20 extends at a right angle to the arm 22 and has an elongate slot 40 formed therethrough. Slot 40 extends parallel to the elongate axis through the central section 12.

A generally U-shaped arrow gripper 44 has a bolt 46 projecting from one side 48. A nut 50 is threaded fully onto bolt 46 and the threaded end of the bolt is inserted through elongate slot 40. Another nut 52 is threaded onto the end of bolt 46 to hold the arrow gripper 44 to the bracket 20.

Arrow shaft grippers 54, 56, and 58 are each secured to the U-shaped arrow gripper 44 and are mounted to be equidistantly spaced around arrow shaft 59. The grippers each include a pivotally mounted tube 60 and a rubber tip 62 extending from the end of the tube. Each tip 62 is inserted into the end of a tube 60 and is held in the tube by a set screw 64 threaded through the wall of the tube and into locking engagement with the tip. Each tip 62 has a V-notch 66 formed in the projecting end to better engage an arrow shaft, as will be hereinafter further explained.

Gripper 54 is pivotally mounted in a notch 70 formed centrally of a bottom bar 72 of the U-shaped arrow gripper. The tube 60 of gripper 54 is pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 74 and is biased by a coil spring 76 on the shaft 74. One end of the spring 76 is connected to the bar and the other end connected to the tube 60 to bias the gripper 54 to an arrow shaft engaging position.

Grippers 56 and 58 are respectively pivotally mounted in notches 78 and 80 formed at in-turned ends 82 and 84 of the U-shaped arrow gripper 44. Grippers 56 and 58 are each pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 86 that extends across and into opposite sides of the respective notches 78 or 80 in which the gripper is mounted. A coil spring 92 is mounted on each pivot shaft 86, with one end fixed to the gripper and the other end fixed to an in-turned end 82, or 84. The grippers 56 and 58 are positioned to engage an arrow shaft with the grippers 54, 56, and 58 equally spaced around the arrow shaft when the grippers are respectively biased by the springs 76 and 92 against walls of the respective notches 78 and 80 in which they are mounted.

A generally U-shaped arrow shaft gripper actuator is shown at 100. Actuator 100 includes a web 102 and arms 104 and 106. Web 102 includes spaced ears 108 that align with ears 110 of the arrow gripper 44. A pivot shaft 112 extends through the ears 108 and 110 and the actuator 100 pivots on the shaft 112 with respect to the arrow gripper 44.

Coil springs 76 and 92 bias the arrow shaft gripper actuator 100 to return projections 120, 122 and 124 to position them out of drawing engagement with the arrow shaft gripper. The coil springs 76, 78 and 80 then bias the shaft gripper into arrow shaft engaging position.

An actuator arm 130 has one end 132 fixed at 134 to and cantilevered from a rear surface 136 of the arrow shaft gripper actuator 100. The actuator arm 130 projects to extend alongside and beyond a vertical length 134 of the draw string 136 of the compound bow 10. Actuator arm 130 is preferably made of stainless steel, or other suitable strong, weather resistant material and preferably has a circular cross-section. The weight of actuator arm 130 acts to pivot the arrow shaft gripper actuator 100 after the grippers have been moved by the springs 76 and 92. The weight of the cantilevered actuator arm 130 pivots the arrow shaft gripper actuator 100 away from the arrow gripper 44.

A loop 140 formed in the actuator arm 130 serves as a spring intermediate the length of the actuator arm so that when the actuator arm is activated during the action cycle of the bow, the loop will absorb some of the lifting force applied to the actuator arm and avoid permanent bending of the arm.

An actuator cam 150 is affixed to the vertical length 134 of draw string 136. Cam 150 is preferably made of stainless steel or other suitably strong, durable and lightweight material. The cam 150 has an abrupt upper shoulder surface 152 that is angled slightly from a shoulder rim 154 upwardly to the top end 156 of a central bore 158 that extends fully through the cam from the top 156 to a bottom end 160. The exterior surface 162 of the actuator cam, below the shoulder rim 154, is gradually sloped to the bottom end 160 of the bore 158. As best shown in FIG. 2A, the cam 150 is cone shaped, with the abrupt upper surface 152 above shoulder rim 154 and the tapered lower surface 162 below; the shoulder rim.

A vertical slot 166 formed in the sidewall of cam 150 extends through the surfaces 152 and 162, and into central bore 158. Slot 166 is sufficiently wide to allow the draw string 136 of the compound bow to be inserted through the slot and into the central bore 158. Spaced set screws 168 and 170 threaded through the tapered surface 162 and into central bore 158 to engage the bow string 140, and to hold the cam 150 in properly set position on the vertical length 138 of bow string 140.

With bow 10 in an upright use position, cam 150 is secured by set screws 168 and 170 on vertical length 134 of the draw string 136. Cam 150 is affixed just below the end 174 of actuator arm 130 remote from the arrow gripper actuator 100 when the arrow gripper actuator is fully biased out of engagement with the arrow shaft grippers 54, 56 and 58 by coil springs 76 and 92.

As shown best in FIG. 2A, an archer using the compound bow 10 grasps the hand grip 14; holds the bow upright; and positions an arrow with the arrow shaft 59 pushed downwardly through the flexible rubber tips 62 of the arrow shaft grippers 56 and 58, and into engagement with the rubber tip 62 at the end of gripper 54. The arrow shaft 59 is then moved rearwardly to enable the nock 180 on the end of shaft 59 to fit onto the pull length 182 of draw string 140 when the draw string is relaxed and the pull length is in a start position. The arrow 184 is then held in position in the bow 10 and is secured by the arrow shaft grippers 54, 56, and 58 and by engagement of the arrow nock 180 with the pull length 182 of the draw string 136. The arrow is thus held in position, without the need for the user of the bow to hold the arrow to the bow, even as the user moves about in rugged territory and over and through obstacles. At the same time, the arrow is immediately ready to be drawn by a user pulling on the pull length 182 and to be fired upon release of the pull length.

In shooting the loaded arrow, the archer user grasps the central section of the bow with one hand; draws the pull length 182 of the draw string 136 back with his other hand; aims the arrow; and releases the pull length of the draw string.

As the archer user draws the pull length 182 of the draw string 140 rearwardly, the actuator cam 150 that is secured to the vertical length 138 of the draw string moves downwardly, below the actuator arm 130. At this time the arrow gripper actuator 100 is biased by coil springs 76 and 92 and the weight of the actuator arm 130 out of engagement with the arrow shaft grippers 44. Consequently, the arrow shaft grippers 54, 56 and 58 that are biased by coil springs 76 and 92 secure the arrow shaft 59 until they are pivoted out of engagement with the arrow shaft.

When the pull length 182 of the pulled draw string 140 is released by the archer, the actuator cam 150 on the vertical length of the draw string rapidly travels upwardly so that the abrupt shoulder 152 engages and lifts the actuator arm 130. Upward movement of the actuator arm pivots the arrow gripper actuator on pivot shaft 112. Continued upward movement of the actuator cam and lifting of the actuator arm 130 moves pivot shaft grippers 54, 56, and 58 out of engagement with the arrow shaft just prior to the pull length of the draw string returning to its start position, during which time the arrow is released from the draw string to fly from the bow.

Immediately before the pull length 182 returns to its start position and as the actuator cam continues to move up, the actuator arm slides off the abrupt shoulder 152 and moves down the tapered exterior surface 162 under the weight of the actuator arm and the bias of coil springs 76 and 92. The arrow gripper actuator 100 is thus biased away from the arrow grippers 54, 56 and 58. This allows the arrow grippers to be biased by springs 76 and 92 into position to receive and grip a next inserted arrow shaft 59.

A plastic sleeve 170 may be provided to telescope snugly over the length of actuator arm 130 contacted by cam 150. With the sleeve 170 in place, engagement of the cam 150 with the plastic sleeve 170 on the actuator arm 130 is quiet and game being hunted is not alerted by any noise during use of the bow for game hunting.

Although a preferred embodiment of our invention has been herein described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention. 

1. An archery compound bow having a draw string having a vertical length and a pull length; an arrow holder fixed centrally of said bow and including an arrow gripper having arrow shaft grippers spaced to encircle an arrow shaft; means biasing said arrow shaft grippers to engage an arrow shaft inserted therebetween; an arrow shaft holder actuator; means biasing said arrow shaft holder actuator out of driving engagement with said arrow shaft gripper, said means including an actuator arm projecting from said arrow shaft holder actuator; and cam means fixed to said vertical length of said draw string and positioned below said actuator arm to raise said actuator arm upon release of said pulled pull length of said draw string to release an arrow nocked to said pull length and to return to position beneath said actuator arm when said pull length returns to a relaxed position.
 2. An archery compound bow as in claim 1, wherein each arrow shaft gripper includes a rubber tip to engage the arrow shaft.
 3. An archery compound bow as in claim 2, wherein each arrow shaft gripper includes a rigid holder; and wherein each rigid holder is pivotally mounted to allow engagement of each rubber tip to engage an arrow shaft in a holding position and to position each end rubber tip to an out of engagement position with the arrow shaft and the arrow as the arrow flies from the bow.
 4. An archery compound bow as in claim 3, further including means mounting the arrow shaft gripper actuator to impact the arrow shaft grippers to pivot said arrow shaft grippers out of their holding positions and to their out of engagement positions following release of the pulled pull length of the draw string.
 5. An archer compound bow as in claim 4, further including means pivotally connecting the arrow shaft gripper actuator to the arrow shaft gripper; and projection means extending from said arrow gripper actuator to engage and pivot the arrow shaft grippers out of their arrow shaft holding positions upon raising of the actuator arm by the travel of the cam fixed to the vertical length of the draw string.
 6. An archery compound bow as in claim 5, wherein the cam has an abrupt upper shoulder surface to engage and raise the actuator arm to pivot said arrow grippers from their arrow shaft gripping positions to their out of engagement positions upon release of the pulled pull length of the draw string and upward movement of the cam and the actuator arm and a gradually tapered lower surface to be engaged by said actuator arm as it moves off the abrupt upper shoulder upon release of said vertical length of the draw string as the cam returns to position beneath said actuator arm and return of the shaft grippers to their holding position.
 7. An archery compound bow as in claim 6, further including a coil formed in the actuator arm as a spring to absorb shock and prevent damage to the actuator arm when said arm is engaged and raised by the cam.
 8. An archery compound bow as in claim 7, further including sound reducing means surrounding the portion of the actuator arm engaged by the cam.
 9. An archery compound bow as in claim 8, wherein the actuator arm is cantilevered from a rear of the arrow shaft gripper actuator and the weight thereof biases each arrow shaft gripper actuator to pivot the projections of said gripper actuator to their out of drawing engagement position spaced from the arrow grippers.
 10. An archery compound bow as in claim 9, wherein the means biasing the arrow shaft gripper comprises a spring and wherein said springs further biases the projections of the arrow shaft gripper actuator out of driving engagement with the arrow shaft grippers.
 11. An arrow holder for use with an archery compound bow having a draw string with a vertical length and a pull length, said arrow holder comprising a bracket; means for securing said bracket to a central portion of a compound bow; an arrow support fixed to said bracket, said arrow support comprising an arrow gripper having arrow shaft grippers spaced to encircle an arrow shaft; means biasing said arrow shaft grippers to engage an arrow'shaft inserted therebetween; an arrow shaft gripper actuator; means biasing said arrow shaft gripper actuator out of driving engagement with said arrow shaft gripper, said means including an actuator arm cantilevered from said arrow shaft gripper actuator; and cam means fixed to said vertical length of said draw string and positioned below said actuator arm to raise said actuator arm upon release of said pulled pull length of said draw string to release an arrow nocked to said pull length and to return to position beneath said actuator arm when said pull length returns to a relaxed position.
 12. An archery compound bow as in claim 11, wherein each arrow shaft gripper includes a rubber tip to engage the arrow shaft.
 13. An archery compound bow as in claim 12, wherein each arrow shaft gripper includes a rigid holder each for rubber tip; and wherein each rigid holder is pivotally mounted to allow engagement of each rubber tip with an arrow shaft in a holding position and to position each end rubber tip to an out of engagement position spaced from the arrow shaft and said arrow as said arrow flies from the bow.
 14. An archery compound bow as in claim 13, further including means mounting the arrow shaft gripper actuator to impact the arrow shaft grippers to pivot each said arrow shaft gripper out of holding position and to the out of engagement position following release of said pulled pull length of said draw string.
 15. An archer compound as in claim 14, further including means pivotally connecting the arrow shaft gripper actuator to the arrow shaft gripper; and projection means extending from said arrow or gripper actuator to engage and pivot the arrow shaft grippers out of their arrow shaft holding positions upon raising of the actuator arm by the cam fixed to the vertical length of the draw string.
 16. An archery compound bow as in claim 15, wherein the cam has an abrupt upper shoulder surface to engage and raise the actuator arm to pivot said arrow grippers from their arrow shaft gripping positions to their out of engagement positions upon release of the pulled pull length of the draw string and upward movement of the cam and said actuator arm and a gradually tapered lower surface to be engaged by the actuator arm as it moves off the abrupt shoulder upon release of the said vertical length of the draw string as said cam returns to position beneath the actuator arm and return of the shaft grippers to their holding position.
 17. An archery compound bow as in claim 16, further including a coil formed in the actuator arm as a spring to absorb shock and prevent damage to the actuator arm when said arm is subjected to and raised by the cam.
 18. An archery compound bow as in claim 17, further including sound reducing means surrounding the portion of the actuator arm engaged by the cam.
 19. An archery compound bow as in claim 18, wherein the actuator arm is fixed to and cantilevered from a rear of the arrow shaft gripper actuator and the weight thereof biases said arrow shaft gripper actuator to pivot the projections of said gripper actuator to their out of driving engagement position spaced from the arrow grippers.
 20. An archery compound bow having a bow string with a vertical length and a pull length; an arrow support fixed centrally of said bow; and including an arrow gripper to engage and hold an arrow shaft; means biasing said arrow gripper into engagement with a shaft of an arrow nocked into said bow string; an arrow shaft gripper actuator including an actuator arm projecting rearwardly therefrom; pivot means for said arrow shaft gripper actuator to position said actuator arm to be engaged by travel of said cam; a cam fixed to said vertical length of said draw string and positioned to be movable downwardly upon drawing of said pull length of said bow string and upwardly to engage and raise said actuator arm upon release of the pulled draw length of said draw string.
 21. An archery compound bow as in claim 20, further including a coil formed in the actuator arm as a spring to absorb shock and prevent damage to the actuator arm when said arm is engaged and raised by the cam.
 22. An archery compound bow as in claim 21, further including sound reducing means surrounding the portion of the actuator arm engaged by the cam. 